Hilton may bring its luxury brands Waldorf Astoria and Curio-A to India

Group is also planning massive changes on the human resources front and has revamped its management trainee programme by sending all new recruits overseas for 6 months.Anumeha Chaturvedi | ET Bureau | July 22, 2016, 13:00 IST

NEW DELHI: American multinational hospitality chain Hilton Worldwide is keen to get its luxury brands, the legendary Waldorf Astoria and the two-year-old Curio-A Collection by Hilton, to India and is exploring opportunities in the country, Andre A Gomez, the new head of operations for India at Hilton Worldwide, said.

The chain currently has 15 hotels across 11 cities in India, with 20 under development, Gomez said in an interview to ET. The group will open its second luxury Conrad property in Bengaluru next year and another Hilton Resort in Goa.

“We have the opportunity and scope to target various markets in India through our portfolio of brands. We have been rolling out Waldorf Astoria throughout Asia and India’s not an exception. We are looking for an opportunity to roll that here at some point."

Gomez said the definition of luxury in hospitality is perceived to be about iconic homegrown brands here, and through their Conrad brand, the chain is bringing an alternative in that luxury space.

"Indian travellers are getting more sophisticated in their expectations. Conrad will be about modern, smart luxury,” said Gomez.

Besides Conrad, the group is present in India through its core brand Hilton, the focused service brand Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton by Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton. Gomez said the group is also planning massive changes on the human resources front and has revamped its management trainee programme by sending all new recruits overseas for six months to work at their trophy hotels.

“We might be the only company to do that in India. Having exposure overseas is critical as employees bring a lot back with them. We will also be piloting some other initiatives in India,” he added. The company is also exploring the dual branding strategy in India. Dual branding refers to chains housing two brands under one property or cluster to beat land costs and the real estate crunch. The move also leads to shared services.

“We have tried that in different markets in Asia and it has been extremely successful. We’re exploring that here as it leads to obvious benefits.”